Food Poisoning

A new study analyzing outbreaks of foodborne illness has found contaminated salad greens make the most people sick, but contaminated poultry have resulted in the most deaths. In light of this study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Home Food Safety program — a collaboration between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods — encourages Americans, rather than avoid certain foods, to practice safe food handling at home instead.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 76 million Americans get food poisoning every year. Even though we have one of the safest food supplies in the world, food poisoning is caused primarily by improper and unhygienic handling of food – which can breed and spread harmful bacteria. Many thousands of cases of supposed flu are actually food poisoning cases demonstrating similar symptoms.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have partnered in creating six food safety booklets for different groups that are most susceptible to food borne illness. These pamphlets target adults, transplant recipients, pregnant women, and people with diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer in an effort to reduce their risk for foodborne illnesses.

A sacred oil from India is found as one of a little known herbal arthritis remedies and has been shown to treat osteoarthritis and alleviate joint pain as effectively as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)? Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata) has been used in the Middle East for religious rituals and healing for thousands of years. The herb is a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and analgesic.

It is appropriate that the plight of the threatened frankincense trees be highlighted during the Christmas season, as the resin was reportedly one of the gifts the three wise men brought to Jesus. Hopefully action will be taken on the threat to the tree from which the gum is produced, as frankincense has health benefits that could be important for humankind today.